Gilbeet wilkes



(No Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet-1. G. WILKES.

SOCKET AND KEY FOR INGANDESGENT LAMPS.

No. 379,842. Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

@mi [T11 conca (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

G. WILKES.

SOCKET AND KEY POR INGANDBSGENT LAMPS. No. 379,842.V Patented Mar. 20, 1888.

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Nv PETERS. Pnuwmhngmpner. wnhingwn D, C.

iINrrEn STATES PATENT OEErcE.

GILBERT WILKES, OE THE UNITED STATES NAVY, ASSIGNOR OF-ONE-HALE TO LOUIS DUNCAN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

SOCKET AND KEY FOR INCANDESCENT LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 379,842, dated March 20, 1888.

Application filed March 23, 1887.

To (all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, GILBERT WILKEs, ensign United States Navy,acitizen ot the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sockets or Holders for Incandescent Lamps and the Like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such to as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same.

My invention relates to the construction of sockets or holders for incandescent electric lamps, and has reference particularly to means for forming an electrical connection between the lamp and conductors supplying` current thereto when the lamp is inserted in its socket, in combination with a key of peculiar construction, by which said connection can be 2o made and broken at will without removing the lamp from its socket.

The object of the invention is to furnish a socket-switch and key of such construction as will enable the lamp to be inserted or removed readily; also to furnish a lamp adapted to be used upon more than one form of socket, and in connection therewith a key or switch for securing reliable electrical connections between the conductor leading from the main or supply and the socket-terminals, and by which -said connection can be broken at will without liability of sparking at the contact-points.

Theinvention consists in making the terminals of an incandescentlampof flattened strips of brass or other resilient metal, which strips. upon emerging from the base of the lamp, are bent backward until they are substantially parallel with the exterior thereof andslightly separated therefrom, and in roughening or .Aro corrugating these strips and adapting them to take a tirnih old within a socket provided with like roughened or corrugated surfaces, and so as to be held firmly in position by the elastic action of the said springs.

The invention consists, further, in providing said springs or terminals with extensions to be grasped between the thumb and lingers for effecting the removal of the lamp, the construction being such that the lamp can only 5o be removed by pressing upon said terminals,

Serial No. 232,161.

(No model.)

thereby throwing the corrugated terminals out of engagement with the corrugated socket.

The invention further consists of a cut-out key or switch by which a flexible spring, forming either one of the socket-terminals or one of the terminals of the conductor leading to the lamp, is made to close the circuit therethrough, being actuated by a cam-shaped button affixed to a sleeve having a limited movement upon a spindle forming the axis of the 6o key, the arrangement being such that when the circuit is to be broken, no matter how slowly the key may be turned, upon reaching a certain point in its revolution the eamshaped button will be thrown by the action of the flexible spring-terminal quickly out of the way, allowing it to snap away from the contact-surface without allowing time for the formation of a destructive spark.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrative 7o of my invention, Figure l represents a vertical section of the lamp and socket, taken at rightangles to the axis of the key. Fig'. 2 represents a vertical section of the same along the axis` of the key. Fig. 3 represents a plan 75 View of the top of the socket with the lamp removed. Fig. 4 represents a plan view of the base of thelalnp. Fig. 5 represents in clevation a modieation in the form of a cut-ont or switch. Fig. 6 represents atop view of the 8o same with the casing removed. Fig. 7 represents a vertical section of the same taken on the line 3 3. Fig. 8 represents a horizontal section taken on the line 4 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar par'ts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, A indicates a block, of wood or other similar material, of proper shape, constituting the main body ot' the lamp-holding socket, the block being eut 9o away, as shown, to receive the lamp-connections. This block is partly covered by a' nietallic casing, B, provided at its upper part with an annular plug of insulating material, T. Fitted to this plug, and embedded in the block A, and projecting downward, are two strips of metal, which I shall, for convenience, term the socket-terminals. These strips are corrugated orscrew-threaded at their upper ends, as shown, and are'preferably partly cylindrical in roo button or be rigidly fastened thereto.

shape, although they might be made fiat without departing from the spirit of my invention.

m m are two small strips of metal secured to the socket-terminals and to the block A, and serve as resting-points for the lamp-terminals.

a a are two projections forming a portion of the block A, and serving as guides for the lamp during its insertion or removal, and to prevent any lateral movement of the same in a dirlection not provided for by the lamp-termina s.

Io one of the strips or socket-terminals is secured in any suitable manner the conduct-or. The other strip extends slightly below the cutaway portion of the block and forms a contactsurface for the spring-terminal P of the conductorR, said springterminal being secured to the block A by a screw or other suitable means. This spring-terminal is held by its elastic'force normally out of contact with the metallic strip or socket-terminal o', as shown by the dotted lines. The lower portion ofthe block A is screwthreaded, and is provided with a cap, B', having a stem which can be fastened to a fitting, B", containing the conductors, as shown. The spindle C is provided with a handle, F, and passes through the casing B and block A, and is free to turn therein. On the spindle C, is a button or cam, E, fitting loosely, but limited in its movement thereon.

by a screw or pin, d, set in the spindle, and projecting through a slot, f, in a sleeve, F', whichl may be made integral with said cam shaped The combined movement of the cani-shaped button and spindle is limited by a stop, e', placed in the block A, in the path of the said cam-block. The operation and purpose of these several parts will hereinafter be fully explained.

As is usual, the globe of the lamp is made of two pieces--the globe H and the basepiece J. The strips M are iiat pieces of brass or other resilient metal, bent and'corrugated sub stantially as shown, and insulated at their outer extremities. These extremities are given a further outward turn at the p'oint where they leave the socket, to adapt them to be more readily grasped and pressed inward. The spring-terminals are embedded in or otherwise securely fastened to the block or core L, of wood,plasterofparis, or other non-conducting substance, partially conforming to the interior of the base of the globe, but allowing suiicient space for a suitable packing between its surface and the interior of the base. The terminals are held securely in position upon the fully filled with a suitable packing, preferA ably of plaster-ofparis, to a point above the top of the block. As a further precaution to secure the block firmly in place, the strips M may have their exposed surfaces roughened, in order to enable the packing Kto take a more secure hold thereon.l The platin-um terminals of the filament are then sealed into the base-piece and the lamp completed in the usual way.

In Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 I have shown a modiiication of my socket-key in the forni of acutont, not only to show its adaptability to this class of ci rcnitrlosers, but to demonstrate that suoli a device is merely a duplication of parts of the one already shown. Instead of one spring-terminal for the conductor and a coutact-surface for closing a circuit, there are two each of said parts and a (rain shaped button having two cani-surfaces, each acting upon its respective springterininal.

In the drawings, A is a circular block of hard wood, forming the base of the cutout.

B is a casing of thin metal to protect vthe operative parts. This is held in place by screws E2 E3.

V V are the screws by which the device is held in position.

Four terminal-bloks, O O` O 0"', of brass or copper, are disposed at regular intervals around the outer edge of the base-block A and firmly secured thereto, and each of these terminal-blocks is provided with appropriate binding-screws, o o o" 0"', to which the conductors are led after being passed through the apertures r r. Two oppositely-placed terminalblocks have fastened upon them, by soldering, brazing, Orotherwise, strips of'spring metal, P P', extending inwardly toward the center of the base-piece, and bent as shown, to afford a. good surface contact with the terminalblocks O and 0"' and a bearingsnrface for the action of the cam button E. Bending the spring terminals in this manner has a further advantage, as will hereinafter be made clear.

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Q is a bridge-piece spanning the base-block,

and is rmly fastened thereto and has an aperture serving as a bearing for a spindle, G,which passes through it and rests in sockets in the base-piece A. The spindle is provided with an appropriate thumb piece, F, as shown. Mounted upon this spindle is a sleeve, G, which is free to turn thereon, but is limited in its movement by a stop, d, on the spindle working in a slot, g, in said sleeve. Secured rigidly to this sleeve is a cam-shaped button, E, of insulating material; or the button and sleeve may be integral, provided it be' properly insulated. The button has two cam-surfaces, e e, adapted to bear, respectively, against the Springterminals P P.

E is a stop, which limits the movement of the button, and prevents it being turned too far in either direction. It will be observed that the camsurfaces are of such a shape that the point exerting the greatest pressure comes opposite the angles in the spring terminals. The object of this is twofold: First, when the point of greatest pressure is passed, the cam slips slightly beyond the angle in the springterminal, which then acts to hold the key securely against displacement by any accidental blow. or shock; second, as the point of greatest pressure is being thus passed, the eXtremitiesp p of the spring-terminals are caused to slide slightly back and forth on the terminal-blocks O 0 while under eXtreme pressure, thus maintaining the contact-surfaces bright and reliable.

The operation is as follows: As the key is turned, the stop d,in movement,comes against the side of the slot G and moves the cam-button E around with it, pressing the terminal springs against the blocks O O and establishing the circuit. As the key is moved backward, the spindle turns within the sleeve until the stop reaches the opposite side of the slot, thus leaving the button free to be thrown out of the way by the spring-terminals after the point of greatest stress has been passed, thus allowing the terminals to snap quickly away from the contact-blocks.

It will be noted that by reason of the bend in the spring-terminals the cam-shaped button, after the contact is broken with the stationary terminals, is entirely out of contact with the said spring-terminals, so that all danger of short-circuiting is avoided. The bend also insures the longitudinal movement for the spring-terminals7 which in closing serves to keep the contactsuriaces bright. In the symmetrical arrangement of the spring-terminals with respect to the cam-shaped button, moreover, I secure the important result of imparting to the said terminals the same motion in making and breaking the circuits, so that said makes and breaks shall take place for both circuits simultaneously.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

I. In a cut-out for electric circuits, the combination, with a key or spindle, ofacamshaped button having a'liinitetl movement thereon, a stop for said button, stationary terminals, and springcircuit terminals, symmetrically arranged with respect to the cam-button, and having abend in the path ofmovement thereof, whereby the angles or bends of the spring-terminals serve as partial stops to prevent the backward revolution of said button, and the points of contact between the springs and button are at all times symmetrical with respect to the stationary contacts, so that the button shall impart an equal movement to each spring-terminal in closing the circuits, substantially as described.

2. In acut-out for electric circuits, the combination of spring-terminals bent twice in opposite directions, terminal contact-surfaces, a cam-shaped button, and a key,whereby when the circuit is closed the spring-terminals are given a slight reciprocating motion on the terminal-blocks, keeping the contacts bright and insuring reliable connections, substantially as described.

3. An incandescing electric lamp having leading-in wires whose extensions are ofspring metal, as described, in combination with a block or core upon which they are secured preparatory to being placed in the base of the globe.

4. In an incandescing electric lamp, the combination of spring-terminals for the eXtensions of the leading-in wires, the block or core upon which they are placed, and a suitable packing around said core between it and the base of the globe.

5. An incandescing electric lamp having leading-in wires whose extensions are of spring metal, bent and corrugated as described, and the extremities of which are insulated, in com bination with a suitable socket whereby the lamp can be readily removed or placed in position, substantially as shown and described.

6. An incandescing electric lamp, as above described, in which the corrugations in the spring-terminals are made in the form of screwthreads, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

7. In an incandescing electric lamp of the kind described, the combination of the bent and corrugated spring-terminals M, the blocks L, extending below the base of the lamp, the ring,U,and the projection U', substantially as shown7 and for the purposes described.

In testimony whereof I afx my signature in presence of two witnesses. y

GILBERT WILKES.

Witnesses:

A. D.' JoHNsoN, J AsPER M. BERRY, J r.

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